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July 24
John really wanted to see Glacier Nat’l. Park. We packed a big picnic lunch & took off for ‘Going to the Sun’ Road, the primary feature of this gigantic park. We won’t post many pics of the beautiful scenery, as we posted plenty on this site when we visited here 2 years ago. Once entering the park, we stopped at turnouts while John took pics and exclaimed over the beauty. It was wonderful seeing the familiar and gorgeous views from ‘Going to the Sun’ Road. We stopped at the Rocky Mountain Goat rock lick in very late afternoon and we got to see a number of these nimble creatures as they walked on ground that no human could without the help of climbing gear. We had a full driving day, covering over 400 miles, and returned home about midnight, exhausted.
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John & Ellis, dwarfed by the forest around them, check out the flags at the Apgar Visitor Center at Glacier National Park.
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We are relaxing after our picnic lunch in the forest. The temps are cool today, somewhere in the 70’s.
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John was overwhelmed by the beauty around him & kept politely asking if we could please stop for a picture session.
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Near the end of the famous road we stop to give our driver a well-deserved break.
Oh, and to let John take some more pictures of the scene below.
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Could I please have a cabin with this view?
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Grandpa & Ellis heading for the Rocky Mountain Goat viewing deck.
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This clever little beggar has a rainier cherry from our picnic basket. We shared some nuts with him and then thought he might enjoy a cherry. Boy, did he!!
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7/25
This was a ‘take-it-easy’ day. Recovering from the day trip to Glacier yesterday, we just kind of ‘vegged’. While John took part of the morning to go to the University of Montana’s big, white-rock ‘M’ placed high on Sentinel Mountain behind the University. There is a zig-zag path leading from a University parking lot that leads steeply to the ‘M’, placed there about 1906. This is a popular hike for many. John enjoyed the workout & the locals he spoke with on the way up. We took Ellis to the Jellystone Park swimming pool. Initially reluctant to get in the pool, some little girls paddling around befriended Ellis & she happily splashed around with them. She then took a long nap. We sent John off to a minor-league baseball team’s ballpark for a home game, while Ellis slept on. The 3 of us ate a late dinner and Ellis returned to slumberland.
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Ellis with her new girlfriend, Riley, a 3 year old just like Ellis. They had a grand time.
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7/26
Our last full day with John & Ellis staying with us. John wanted to visit the street fair & off we went. Very warm, humid & sunny today. We looked over the offerings in the booths & made some purchases & headed for the ‘A Carousel for Missoula’, its proper name. Ellis had a good ride on the Carousel again & we headed back to the coach for a nap. John had enjoyed the ‘A’ league, short season, team’s ballgame last night & we decided that we’d all go tonight. The ‘Osprey’ is a part of the Arizona Diamondback’s farm system. The temps were in the low 90’s with high humidity when we landed at the ballpark. The ‘Osprey’ team’s park, located next to the river, has a shady side that includes behind the plate, so we opted for those seats. It was much cooler then and we cheered with the crowd as the ‘Osprey’ took the field. They have won various championships in recent years and have been a solid ball club. This year, they are struggling. When John saw them, they were in a 4 game winning streak. Not tonight, however. After 5 innings of ball with a score of Missoula‘Osprey’-0=Helena’s Brewers-14, we thought we had had enough of the torture. The fans are very supportive and we didn’t hear any catcalls or negativity that these minor league games are famous for. Very few were leaving early. However, early is relative. The game started at 7pm sharp and it was 9:15 when we left. At the speed they were playing, it could have been midnight before it was over. Two things we enjoyed about the game were 1) the team mascot & 2) the for-real osprey that have a nest beyond the center field fence. The nest is high on a pole/platform. That area is fenced to protect them. They hunt in the river and return to the nest with food for the babes. They are busy with this while the game is going on. Anyway, it started cooling off and we sat outside at our campsite enjoying the sunset and watching Ellis play with her flashlight. Nice day.
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The first booth at the street fair had these bumper stickers. We just laughed & laughed at the absurdity.
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I was so moved by the sign in front of the Carousel for Missoula. The thought is lovely & touching. It is a bit hard to read so will do the words below:
If magic can happen anywhere, it can happen in Missoula, where dreams are followed and promises are kept, and where people believe in making a life as well as making a living. Welcome to A Carousel for Missoula and Dragon Hollow. Enjoy the magic and dare to dream.
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Ellis has chosen a gray pony for today’s ride. She & her favorite riding partner are buckled up and ready to go.
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These horses are so incredible! Each so different from the other. Just thought you might enjoy seeing a few of them.
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The Osprey playing field entrance. Ellis is excited about the game that daddy likes so well.
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At this point, the batter is from the opposition team, Helena Brewers. And the score is OK. That doesn’t last long.
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Behind the blue ad on the stadium fence is the fenced pole/osprey nest. See below for a closer look at the birds inhabiting the nest. They do not seem to be troubled by the crowds, the loudspeaker, the stadium lighting or the cheering. Osprey return to their nests year after year and add to their nests by adding more sticks. This seems like a small nest compared to some we’ve seen. Wonder if they’ll return.
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Ellis was enchanted by the mascot. He was quite funny. On this hot, sultry night wearing this elaborate &, no doubt, hot suit, he never stopped moving around & doing silly things. Ellis would wave to him or tell us what the ‘bird’ was doing if we weren’t paying attention to him. Always interesting what kids will be drawn to.
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7/27
Our day began with a restaurant breakfast. Returning to the campground, John packed up & prepared to leave. We had time for a drive out to the Blackfoot River to a fishing access point that is popular as a start point for those going into the river in large inner tubes or rubber rafts. So, on a Sunday mid-day there is a lot of rubber floating around. It is quite pretty there and we wanted John to see a bit of the countryside east of Missoula. While there, we taught Ellis the long time tradition of kids & adults alike, throwing rocks into the river. She really got into it and, of course, the males in our party had to show her how they do it by throwing HUGE rocks in the river, making HUGE splashes and making Ellis giggle. A fine farewell to Missoula. After dropping off the rental car, we took them to Missoula International for their flight home. It was so hard to say goodbye. It’s always so nice to spend time with John and a joy to have our precious girl with us. She is a delight and I already miss her sweet voice. We leave tomorrow for the Angler’s Roost in Hamilton, about 50 miles south of here.
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Ellis is learning to throw rocks in the river. She just had a great time heaving the rocks Gary is holding in his hand. She went hunting for more when these were gone.
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Excited about getting on the plane, she could hardly pause to say goodbye. But she really wanted us to get on the plane with her. So very hard not to. John really had his hands full with an armful of Ellis, a carry-on and a, thankfully, rolling duffel. Ellis has an armful of small blanket & pillow, her own personal bedding for napping.
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